Monday, April 28, 2014

James Montgomery Band 1974 High Roller

Genre: Blues
Rate: 128 kbps CBR / 44100
Time: 00:37:27
Size: 34,22 MB

Review by Joe Viglione

James Montgomery's 1974 release on Capricorn/Warner Brothers has the harp playing vocalist in fine form. With Otis Spann guitarist Peter Malick, the six-piece ensemble crafted a serious album of blues-pop with production by Tom Dowd and the man who would hit with the Bee Gees shortly after this, Albhy Galuten. Side two is more accessible. "Sing You a Love Song" is written and sung by drummer Chuck Purro, and that's the interesting thing about the James Montgomery Blues Band: Four different musicians share the lead vocals, and only one of them is the star.

Guitarist Peter Bell shares the lead with Montgomery on the Otis Redding tune that ends the album, "Ten Page Letter." This title, along with five others, was recorded in June of 1974 at Atlantic Recording Studios in New York, with Tom Dowd assisting engineer Gene Paul; "I Can't Stop (No, No, No)," "Schoolin' Them Dice," "Sing You a Love Song," and "Try It" were recorded in July at Capricorn Recording Studios, Macon, Georgia. Another interesting thing is that the bluesier tunes were placed on side one and the poppier songs made it to the second, but both studios' sessions are pretty evenly represented on each side of the disc. Keyboardist David Case sounds up on "Any Number Can Play," and Montgomery does a terrific job with Allen Toussaint's "Brickyard Blues."

During this interesting period of Boston rock & roll, James Montgomery's band escaped the "Bosstown Sound" tag by sticking to its roots. Too bluesy to be mistaken for the J. Geils Band, Montgomery is a well-loved personality in New England, and this record is a respectable outing by a very talented bunch.